Chapter Fifty-Two
52
Zane stood in the dead of night, beneath the shadows of the light house.
Something doesn't feel right...
Zane thought to himself as he took the key around his neck and gently wrapped it in his hand.
A Shadow Rider...
He blinked.
This key is telling me...
"...There's one near by." he muttered, and shifted his gaze toward the red glow of Volcanic light.
Bastion was in his dorm room. Up late once again revamping his deck to withstand the looming threat of darkness when he took notice the light ringing that came from his vibration charm. A Melody that Duel SPirits seemed to find enchanting as back at the infirmary Ojama Yellow was dancing a jig.
"Stop dancing!" Chazz huffed, "You're distracting me from my beauty sleep!"
"Sorry Boss, But I can't help it~" the Ojama sang, "I'm trying to keep in tune with that spirit key~"
"Come to think of it..." Chazz blinked, "What is that trembling?" he ponderedbefore taking the charm around his neck and holding it in his hand as well...but he soon came to realize that this ringing piece of metal wasn't the only thing that was shaking.
"Connar!" he called out, leaning over the girl's trembling body,"Connie...I'm here..." he whispered. The girl groaned and began to shift arounf, finally opening her blue eyes, which now seemed to have a glow to them in the darkness.
"...Jaden..." she mumbled.
"What?" Chazz blinked and began to panic as the girl struggled to rise to her feet, "Hey, what are you doing!?" Chazz huffed, "You shouldn't be getting up right now-lay back down!"
"The Volcano..." she mumbled, "...We have to go!"
"What...?" Chazz blinked, "All right but you're not walking there on your own in this condition." he stated and turned,"Come on..." he blinked, "Get on my back."
XXXXX
What were you thinking, Sheppard!?
The Chancellor thought to himself with his head in his hands.
Getting your students involved in a battle with such stakes!?
He sighed.
But then...what choice did you have?
If the Shadow Riders get a hold of the Three Sacred Beast cards...
"...We'll all be destroyed..." he sighed.
XXXXX
"All right...My draw!" said Jaden,"First off, I'll place wroughtweiler in defense mode." he stated, "Then I'll change Tempest to Defense as well!" That was all he could do for his turn.
"You call that a turn?" said Nightshroud,"I call tha a waste of time~" he smirked,"And Time is very much the essence right now...especially for your friends." he chuckled, "What to do, what to do~?"
"How about you make your move!?" Jaden huffed.
"Oh right...it's my turn now...sorry~" the Shadowrider scoffed as he took his draw,"I'll summon Spear Dragon in attack mode!" he said, and sent it forward toward Jaden's defending Wroughtweiler. However this attack proved helpful to the brunette. As upon destruction, Wroughtweiler then allowed him to fetch an Elemental Hero and Polymerization from his grave to his hand. However...Spear Dargon also had a surprise...
"Ahhhh!" Jaden cried as his lifepoints dropped to 600. When Spear Dragon attacks, the difference between its attack and its target's defense are dealt as life point damage...however another effect came with that, which shifted spear Dragon into Defense mode.
"And don't think I don't know about Tempest's special ability!" said Nightshroud, "You can save him from being destroyed by sending one card on your field to the grave...however that won't help you if I get rid of it first!" said Nightshroud, "Mystical Space Typhoon!" With Jaden's Fusion Gate now gone, he couldn't save his Tempest from a dark flaming destruction.
"Now then Key Keeper...it's your move." said Nightshroud, "That is...if you have any strength left to make it~" he laughed as Jaden's weakened body fell.
"Enough!" Alexis cried, "This duel is over!"
"Says who!?" Nightshroud scoffed.
"Says me." Alexis blinked as she held up her own key, "I have a Spirit Gate Key too." she stated, "Let my friends go...and you can duel ME for it." she said, "And now matter which way it goes, I'll let you have my soul anyway!"
Nightshroud stood in stunned silence. Gaze fixated the the blonde that stood before him.
...I know you...
He thought to himself.
"You can't lose!" said Alexis,"So let them go and deal with me-"
"NO!" Jaden snapped, startling the blonde as the Slifer male rised on trembling feet, "I won't let you, Alexis..." he stated, "After all..." he smirked, "I'm just about to win this!" he grinned, "It's time to get my game on!"
"Well you better hurry!" Syrus cried.
"The Lava is rising and it doesn't wanna play nice!" said Norika.
"All right then." Jaden gulped, "It's now or never-I Summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in attack mode!" he declared,"Next I'll activate the spell card Wild Half from my hand!" This card took the original attack points of Red Eyes Darkness Dragon and split it by summoning a monster token with the same attack to the field.
"But because of all his dragons, that still gives them 3300 attack points each."
"Well I'm getting to that!" said Jaden as he activated polymerization to fuse WildHeart and Blade Edge, creating Elemental Hero WIldEdge, "What's great about him is that he can attack all monster son your field at the same time!"
"Go ahead and do that, then!" said Nightshroud,"He still has less attack points than my dragon!"
"Again with the attack points!?" Jaden laughed, "I guess I better address that little issue then!" he stated as he activated the field spell Sky Scraper, "Now you should get ready to scrape your dragons off the pavement-because heroes gain 1000 attack points here!" Jaden beamed.
"All right!" Alexis cheered while Jaden thrust forward with his attack successfully destroying all dragons on Nightshroud's field. And because the Darkness Dragons had 3300 each, which was 300 less than WildEdge's 3600 thanks to Sky Scraper's boost, it was just enough to wipe out Nightshroud's remaining 600 life points."
"That's game!" Jaden stated as the Shadow Rider fell screaming to his knees, soon enveloped in a blast of dancing flames. But Jaden too was drained...
"Sy...Chumley...Nori...Haah..." he heaved a heavy sigh and fell.
"Jaden!" Alexis cried. But as she moved to help him, they too were shrouded in a wall of fire. A White light flashed, and all were transported safely away from the dancing flames. just in time.
"We made it!" Norika and Syrus cheered in sweet relief.
"Norika!" Alexis called out after coming to and she ran to greet her as well as Jaden's room mates.
"He did it." said Alexis, "Jaden did it...but..." she blinked, "Where is Jaden?"
"Over there!" Norika gasped as she pointed to a dishevled Slifer red wearing brunette in the dirt and they all ran to check on him.
"He's not moving!" said Syrus.
"He's fine..." said Alexis, "Tired maybe...but who could blame him..." she sighed in relief, "Norika..." she stated as she took the red head's hands in her own and watched her winced from the bruises left behind on her wrists from rope burn, "Are you okay...?"
"Yeah...I think so..." she said softly...but...what about him...?" she asked as she pointed out the other unconscious body not far from them. The one that undoubtedly belonged to Nightshroud.
"Hmmm..." Alexis pondered. She then walked over to the unconscious body and picked up the card beside him. The once black faced piece of cardboard now bore an image of a mask in chains.
Well...at least we're safe from him now...
She blinked and moved in closer as the dawn approached, to check the body it lay next to, which had suddenly began shifting...and a weary eye opened slowly and glanced at her.
"Alexis...?"
The blonde gasped.
No way...it can't be!
"Jaden!" A soft female voice wavered, calling the attention of those who now sat tired and covered in soot as she was carried on the back of a Slifer dressed in black.
"Connar!"
"Norika! You're okay!" the pinkette smiled weakly in relief.
"But what about you!?" the red head asked, "Should you be out here right now!?"
"She insisted!" Chazz huffed.
"Whatever happened to fighting stubborness with stubborness~?" Norika smirked.
"I dare you to try it!" he scoffed, "I'd LOVE to see you do any better!" he sighed, "So what happened here?"
"Jaden dueled one of the Shadow Riders." said Norika, "That asshole kidnapped me and dared to make disgusting gestures!"
"What!?" Zane gasped, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine now." she said softly, "Though I can't say the same for Jaden..."
"So what HAPPENED!?" said Chazz, "Did he WIN?"
"Yeah...he did." said Chumley.
"Hmph...so is that him over there?" Zane asked as he stood to approach the body that Alexis now sobbed over.
"Alexis!?" Zane blinked.
"It's him Zane! It's him!" she stated, "I don't understand how...or why...but it's him!" she sobbed, "He's back..."
"Who'se back!?" Zane asked.
"Look at his face, Zane!" she said with teary eyes, "It's my brother!"
Zane gasped.
"I thought I lost him forever...but now...he's back!"
"...Atticus..."
To be Continued